prosecuting his enterprise (he expressed this idea in more homely
idiom--less Latinized was his language, metaphorical indeed, yet terse);
finally he had that healthy distrust of his accomplices which is
essential to success in a career of crime; he thought that Sergeant
Hooper might not deliver the goods!

Sergeant Hooper demurred; he deprecated inconsiderate haste? let the
opportunity be chosen. He had served under Mr. Beaumaroy in France, and
(whatever faults Major-General Punnit might find with that officer)
preferred that he should be off the premises at the moment when Mr.
Bennett and he himself made unauthorized entry thereon. "He's a hot 'un
in a scrap," said the Sergeant, sitting in a public house at Sprotsfield
on Boxing Day evening, Mr. Bennett and sundry other excursionists from
London being present.

"My chauffeur will settle him," said Mr. Bennett. It may seem odd that
Mr. Bennett should have a chauffeur; but he had--or proposed to
have--_pro hac vice_--or _ad hoc_; for this particular job, in fact.
Without a car that stuff at Tower Cottage--somewhere at Tower
Cottage--would be difficult to shift.

The Sergeant demurred still, by no means for the sake of saving
Beaumaroy's skin, but still purely for the reason already given; yet he
admitted that he could not name any date on which he could guarantee
Beaumaroy's absence from Tower Cottage. "He never leaves the old blighter
alone later than eleven o'clock or so, and rarely as late as that."

"Then any night's about the same," said gentleman Bennett; "and now for
the scheme, dear N.C.O.!"